


Hufflepuffs Are Not Puppies, Feel Free To Kick

by skoosiepants



Series: Bagglevarger's Theory of Inversive Magic [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-23
Updated: 2007-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-12 19:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/494886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skoosiepants/pseuds/skoosiepants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seriously. <i>Hufflepuffs.<i></i></i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Hufflepuffs Are Not Puppies, Feel Free To Kick

Rodney had never particularly liked Hogsmeade. It was always crowded and loud and filled with frivolous storefronts. Except for Honeydukes, and the lure of candy was usually the only thing that ever drove him off the castle grounds and over the hill.  
  
Unfortunately, that was not always the case. Right then, deep in the din of the Three Broomsticks, he was caught up in an incredibly uncomfortable date with Katie Brown, and he had no idea how he’d gotten there.   
  
Oh, he had the details down, of course. She’d asked, and he’d stammered some approximation of an affirmative, because no one had ever _asked_ him before. Sheppard would waggle empty boxes of chocolate frogs at him, and Cadman would shove him out the door with her abnormally strong grip, but there’d never been a “Rodney, will you...?” involved, and he’d been so, so _flabbergasted_ by the Hufflepuff’s gall (yes, the _gall_ of the girl!) he’d been completely unable to say _no_.  
  
And when he looked at her, really _looked_ at her, she was actually very pretty. Sweet-faced and dainty, and Rodney had to keep reminding himself that she was a Hufflepuff and off-limits and he was in love with Sheppard, anyway.  
  
Not that Sheppard had given him anything at all past that promising grin weeks before. He was beginning to think he’d imagined that whole moment.  
  
Katie smiled at him tentatively across the table, and suddenly Rodney thought he might just throw up, and he said, “Um, I’m just going to. I’ll be back,” jumping to his feet and making his way towards the front of the pub, pushing past the crush of students and stumbling out into the frosty winter air.   
  
His breath was shallow and uneven, face hot, and he scrubbed a hand over his forehead.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
Rodney jerked his head up. “Sheppard.”  
  
Sheppard’s outer robes were parted despite the snowy weather, hands stuffed in his pockets, scarf looped loosely around his neck. Ford was hovering behind him, stuffing sour gummies in his mouth, and Lorne had Grodin in a headlock, staggering into the side of the building, urging the laughing boy to cry uncle.  
  
“Everything okay there, buddy?” Sheppard asked, grinning.  
  
“Oh yeah,” Rodney managed. “Everything’s _peachy_.” He was just busy having a public panic attack, sweaty and nauseous, and the only thing that could make the moment even more perfect would be if Katie came out looking for him, and really he was just asking for it with a thought like that.  
  
“Rodney?” Katie peeked out the door, brown eyes shining with concern. She was like a fluffy little puppy, liquid-eyed and eager to please.  
  
Sheppard flicked his gaze between them (grin growing wider, the bastard) but then he at least had the decency to step forward and place a hand on Rodney’s arm, turning towards Katie with a, “Sorry, Katie, but Rodney’s not feeling that great. I’m just gonna get him back to the castle, okay?”  
  
“Oh. Okay,” Katie said, voice small. Her eyes were still friendly, though (seriously. _Hufflepuffs_ ) and she nodded at Rodney. “Maybe another time.”  
  
“Sure, uh. Yes,” Rodney said, and then barely resisted the urge to slap himself in the face. He felt Sheppard shaking with silent laughter against his side.  
  
“I’m glad you’re finding this so amusing,” Rodney hissed as Sheppard pulled Rodney along, down the path that led to the carriages.   
  
Sheppard’s silent laughter finally spilled past his lips in little chuckles. “Rodney,” he said, “your _face_. I mean, are you _scared_ of her?”  
  
“No,” Rodney said stiffly, pausing in the middle of the path and yanking his arm out of Sheppard’s grip.  
  
Sheppard’s eyes were sparkling. “Why were you even with—”  
  
“She asked me,” Rodney cut in, angry and slightly hurt. “And she apparently actually likes me, and even though I’m going to go out of my way to avoid her now, since I can’t seem to tell her _no_ , and she’s a Hufflepuff and clearly an inappropriate choice for a girlfriend, it was nice.”  
  
“Nice,” Sheppard echoed, brows arching with skepticism.   
  
“To be asked,” Rodney clarified. Not the actual date part. That had been a nightmare, obviously.  
  
“Rodney, you know I.” Sheppard cut himself off and palmed the back of his neck, ducking his head.  
  
Rodney crossed his arms over his chest. “What?”  
  
Sheppard sighed, shrugged a little, grinned and said, “Come on,” tugging on Rodney’s arm again.  
  
Rodney scowled at him, refusing to budge. “No, what?”  
  
“I just.” Sheppard seemed nervous, shifty, then he took a deep breath and did an over-exaggerated eye-roll, and stepped forward to cage Rodney’s face between his hands.  
  
His palms were cold against Rodney’s cheeks, and Rodney automatically jerked backwards, ‘til just the tips of Sheppard’s fingers were touching his jaw line, and then Sheppard’s face was close, closer, lips parting over his, and warmth bloomed in from his ears.  
  
Rodney’s hands came up to grab Sheppard’s scarf, robes, stunned practically breathless, and the kiss was almost-chaste and dry and over-too-fast, but Sheppard was obviously very pleased with himself, bouncing a little in place when he pulled away.  
  
Sheppard said, “I didn’t think I had to.”   
  
Rodney blinked, fingers clenching and unclenching in the thick material of Sheppard’s robes. “Had to what?”  
  
One forefinger rubbed along the jut of Rodney’s chin. “Ask.”  
  
“Oh, um.” Rodney swallowed.  
  
Sheppard grinned again. “So you probably shouldn’t date anyone else.”  
  
“Not date,” Rodney said dumbly, staring into Sheppard’s eyes, at the laughter overlaid with warm affection. He felt a little numb, slow, but Sheppard slipped a hand down to curl around his, lacing their fingers together.  
  
“Come on,” he said, grip squeezing, and Rodney went.


End file.
